Football Manager Experience Lands 21-Year-Old Manager's Job

So you've taken Lincoln City from the Blue Square Premier all the way into the Premiership and beyond to European glory. What then? While we all like to admit we possess the talent-spotting expertise, the tactical awareness and team management calibre of a certain Jose Mourinho after a ten-hour, trophy-laden sesh on Football Manager, few will be able to match this.

Because yes, it's finally happened: a football team has filled its dormant manager's position by looking no further than SEGA and Sports Interactive's Football Manager for budding coaches. Born in Azerbaijan but based in Sweden, 21-year old Vugar Huseynzade was appointed manager of Azerbaijani Premier Club FK Baku's 'A' team on Wednesday, taking over from former coach and ex-Olympiacos defender Bozdar Bandovic, and allegedly beating the likes of former Marseille and France legend Jean-Pierre Papin to the role.

Huseynzade also happens to possess a business management degree from Boston University and has purportedly also worked in a sports agency previously. Building on which, Huseynzade was hired by the club in February of this year in an assistant/advisory role largely based on not only his educational background but, yes, the glory he had brought countless clubs on Football Manager in his ten-plus years' of experience on the game. Eight months on and here he is, appointed manager for Baku FC and with an enthusiasm and spirit barely matched in the game – he hopes to get Baku into the Europa League within three years. Next step: Abramovich's mentor.